police chase

[red]

60 year old guy steals a car and the police wreck two cruisers crashing into him and shoot ten to fifteen bullets into the car.

All this for a stolen car? Seems weird

 

[GameBoy27]

Yeah, this 60 year old gentleman sounds like a fine upstanding citizen. Police had no reason to suspect he might try anything untoward. They should've politely ask him to stop and exit the vehicle.

TORONTO - By sundown it was suddenly clear, and made perfect sense, why Toronto Police fired at least 14 bullets into a stolen car with a driver at the wheel.

Not just any driver but one, sources say, with more than 150 criminal convictions in the past including car thefts and assaults on police and many others.

Edward Michael Skotnicki, 60, has been banned for the rest of his life from driving and yet there he was alledgedly stealing a car and driving wildly in the heart of Toronto’s downtown Wednesday.

The last time Toronto Police dealt with this alleged car thief, in 2007, he was charged with dragging a police officer 25 metres as Skotnicki attempted to get away. The officer suffered injuries to the shoulder and neck area.

With the 2011 police chase death of Sgt. Ryan Russell still fresh in the minds of most officers, police weren’t taking any chances.

They did their jobs.

At least one 51 Division officer fired his Glock with precision into the engine block of a silver Toyota Corolla in the lunch hour sunshine at the corner of Parliament and Mill Sts.

Witnesses said the car was stolen from Shuter St. near St. Michael’s Hospital and had been involved in a car chase along Lake Shore Blvd. before heading back north on Parliament.

Police stopped the car in its tracks right outside the entrance to the busy Distillery District.

Lots of people witnessed an unusual scene and were asking questions like why would police shoot into a car when they were so close to a tourist area like this?

Fair questions and the investigation continues.

But once police sources told me it would be Skotnicki, appearing in a College Park courtroom Thursday at 10 a.m., charged with stealing the car and fleeing from police, the possible reasoning of the officers on the ground became clear.

This was a dangerous serial criminal they were dealing with driving a deadly weapon. They had little choice if they thought they, or anyone else, was in danger.

It left behind quite a crime scene.

They were not shooting a movie in the Distillery District even though it is a place famous for being a Hollywood backdrop.

“I heard boom, boom, boom,” Shannon Ferguson told reporters. “I never heard so many gunshots before.”

You had this silver Toyota Corolla boxed in by two smashed up Toronto Police 51 Division police cars right in the middle of the intersection of Mill and Parliament Sts. And when you looked closer at the hood of the car, there are at least 14 bullet holes and perhaps 15.

Below there appeared to be fluid flowing from the engine onto the road next to the debris from the police cars, one of which was still running and the other had its lights still flashing.

The key is no one was hurt. Still it was a dramatic event for German tourist Jann.

“I heard the shooting. It was scary,” he told me. “Surreal.”

He hung around to help police understand what he witnessed but with his flight home looming he finally had to get to his rental car that was just outside the yellow tape. Under one of its windshield wipers was a yellow parking ticket.

Even the detective chuckled before taking the ticket with a promise of taking care of it. The real alleged bad guy, afterall, in this will be in court Thursday.

Perhaps somebody can explain how a person with so many convictions is on the loose?

In the meantime Toronto Police will investigate as they do with every discharge of a firearm.

Count me among those who aren’t too worried about the technicalities of what the investigation reveals because in my mind I already think the officers who stopped this menace from doing God knows what are heroes.

This was great police work in my view. Count this as a win for the good guys.

http://www.torontosun.com/2015/09/16/shooting-in-distillery-district

 

[red]

I am not saying he shouldn't be arrested but we lost two cars to recover one stolen car? And that one is a write off as well

 

[anon1]

At least one 51 Division officer fired his Glock with precision into the engine block of a silver Toyota Corolla

 

[GameBoy27]

I am not saying he shouldn't be arrested but we lost two cars to recover one stolen car? And that one is a write off as well

The Police cars have minor damage. The purpose was to arrest the driver. Nobody was injured or killed during the takedown. Honestly, who cares about the Corolla.

 

[red]

The Police cars have minor damage. The purpose was to arrest the driver. Nobody was injured or killed during the takedown. Honestly, who cares about the Corolla.

Thats my point

Cars are stolen every day- you cant cops to even file the report. But for some reason this car being stolen ended with two cruisers ramming it and multiple shots (to the car- thats great work by the way)

I just find it odd- why this car? Why were the police so intent on recovering it?

 

[GameBoy27]

Thats my point

Cars are stolen every day- you cant cops to even file the report. But for some reason this car being stolen ended with two cruisers ramming it and multiple shots (to the car- thats great work by the way)

I just find it odd- why this car? Why were the police so intent on recovering it?

Did you not read who the driver was and his lengthy criminal past? It had nothing to do with recovering a Corolla! :frusty:

 

[red]

Did you not read who the driver was and his lengthy criminal past? It had nothing to do with recovering a Corolla! :frusty:

How would they know that until he was arrested?

 

[Butler1000]

How would they know that until he was arrested?

Because they knew going in it was him? To say he was "known to police" would be the understatement of the year.

Add in a high speed chase on downtown streets and yes take him down fast and hard. The shot out the engine block to disable the vehicle as he was attempted to move the Corolla after being blocked in. He has a long history of this.

Blame the justice system for not having this guy declared a dangerous offender and locked away for life.

 

[AJstar]

60 year old guy steals a car and the police wreck two cruisers crashing into him and shoot ten to fifteen bullets into the car.

All this for a stolen car? Seems weird

I count 17 bullet holes.

 

[red]

Because they knew going in it was him? To say he was "known to police" would be the understatement of the year.

Add in a high speed chase on downtown streets and yes take him down fast and hard. The shot out the engine block to disable the vehicle as he was attempted to move the Corolla after being blocked in. He has a long history of this.

Blame the justice system for not having this guy declared a dangerous offender and locked away for life.

If they did- then ok

But I haven't seen that reported. The news reports said they saw a stolen car and pursued in high speed chase.

Anyways- it seems a weird story to me.

 

[anon1]

The last time Toronto Police dealt with this alleged car thief, in 2007, he was charged with dragging a police officer 25 metres as Skotnicki attempted to get away. The officer suffered injuries to the shoulder and neck area.

 

[fmahovalich]

If they did- then ok

But I haven't seen that reported. The news reports said they saw a stolen car and pursued in high speed chase.

Anyways- it seems a weird story to me.

Once you you move past your anti police mindset..... This case is quite clear.

 

[GameBoy27]

I count 17 bullet holes.

But how many shots did you hear? 17 is a strange number. TPS use the Glock 22 with 15 round magazines but from what I understand, they only load 14 as the springs are really tight which makes it difficult to load all 15. 22 round magazines are also available but I don't believe they use those. I also believe he kept pulling the trigger until the magazine was empty so either way, 17 doesn't make sense.

 

[fmahovalich]

But how many shots did you hear? 17 is a strange number. TPS use the Glock 22 with 15 round magazines but from what I understand, they only load 14 as the springs are really tight which makes it difficult to load all 15. 22 round magazines are also available but I don't believe they use those. I also believe he kept pulling the trigger until the magazine was empty so either way, 17 doesn't make sense.

I suspect they carry more than one clip?

 

[anon1]

I count 17 bullet holes.

I count 15. The one in the bumper looks like a pre-existing paint chip.
Either way, the cop knew what he was doing, shooting at the water pump and ignition system. I doubt a Glock 9mm would penetrate an engine block.

 

[GameBoy27]

I suspect they carry more than one clip?

Near the end of the video you can see him start to reload the next clip. It ends before we can tell if more shots were fired, but likely not. Witness reports haven't said anything about shots fired followed by a pause then more shots fired.

I count 15.

15 is technically possible.

The one in the bumper looks like a pre-existing paint chip.
Either way, the cop knew what he was doing, shooting at the water pump and ignition system. I doubt a Glock 9mm would penetrate an engine block.

TPS use .40-caliber Glock 22 handguns with controlled expansion (hollow-point) bullets, which are not likely to penetrate the block, especially after going through the hood.

 

[fmahovalich]

Near the end of the video you can see him start to reload the next clip. It ends before we can tell if more shots were fired, but likely not. Witness reports haven't said anything about shots fired followed by a pause then more shots fired.



15 is technically possible.




TPS use .40-caliber Glock 22 handguns with controlled expansion (hollow-point) bullets, which are not likely to penetrate the block, especially after going through the hood.

But they would cut a belt, pierce a radiator, damage smaller metal parts that are vital to the cAr running , and that apparently happened.

no, of course, it would not go through a block.

 

[GPIDEAL]

I am not saying he shouldn't be arrested but we lost two cars to recover one stolen car? And that one is a write off as well

You're not paying attention.

It was to catch that mofo. In the States, they might have solved the incarceration expense.

 

[GPIDEAL]

But they would cut a belt, pierce a radiator, damage smaller metal parts that are vital to the cAr running , and that apparently happened.

no, of course, it would not go through a block.

Right. Maybe even cause a battery leak too.